Last Updated on January 21, 2020
A TikTok video of a doctor urging adolescents as young as twelve to get STD checks and abortions without their parents’ knowledge has gone viral on social media.
A middle-aged doctor is dancing in the clip to music while text appearing on the screen delivers her message.
The text reads, “You can see your doctor WITHOUT your parent…for birth control, STD screening, STD treatment, for a pregnancy test, to answer your questions about sex.”
“And if you’re 12 or older, I will (politely) ask all adults to exit for part of the visit to have a CONFIDENTIAL conversation about your health!”
The video was warmly received by social media users, praising the doctor for attempting to destigmatize a relatively taboo topic.
2. Love this video too!
Doctors on TikTok is my favorite trend. https://t.co/wtyvY7pusL pic.twitter.com/8kTUXYyyp2
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 19, 2020
https://twitter.com/ShyanRose1/status/1219286031138082817
Saw these both last week and thought they were both *so* good
— Eric Koch (@EricDKoch) January 19, 2020
In spite of the positive reception from some social media users, the debate – as usual – appeared to be polarized.
Some critiqued the doctor’s motives with the videos other than taking her message at face value.
https://twitter.com/tpgroyper/status/1219638129604407297
One commenter said, “Anyone supporting the idea that a 12 year old can be tested for an STD without their parent’s knowledge is probably concerned about being caught.”
Yashar, I’m all for the first one but the “12 year old” part of the second one strikes a chord with me (and apparently many) parents. There is no world where a 12 year old has the developed prefrontal cortex to autonomously consult a physician about their sex life.
— Tracey (@lasolastracey) January 21, 2020
On the other end of the political spectrum, a Christian Nurse – “Nurse Holly” – suffered a backlash after her now-deleted TikTok advising viewers to pursue more wholesome forms of self-medication to tackle stress and anxiety went viral.
Via National File:
The video in question was posted as a comment to a disgruntled Twitter account’s tweet blasting the nurse’s advice for STD prevention: waiting until marriage, saying “The best way to prevent STDs is waiting for sex until marriage. Just the truth,” as she dances.
The tweet, which was also posted by another registered nurse, read “So tired of nurses acting a fool on their large platforms. Promoting irresponsible and biased rhetoric regarding public health in an effort to go viral is so low and so so dangerous. Abstinence teaching does not equate to safe sex. So here’s my response”
What appeared to anger thousands was her advice where she recommends water over alcohol, plenty of sleep over late night partying, and exercise over drugs with plenty of Jesus.
